World Humanist Congress Made Humanism a Form of Resistance | Column

This is an opinion column.

The World Humanist Congress chose a pointed theme this year: Humanism as Resistance. The gathering, hosted with Humanist Canada, framed the movement as a stand against creeping coercion.

The choice of words was deliberate. Humanism is often cast as quiet and academic. This congress insisted it must also be brave.

Why the World Humanist Congress moved north

The event itself carried a message. Organisers relocated it to Ottawa after assessing the climate elsewhere. They cited rising religious nationalism and restrictions on movement and rights.

That decision was not symbolic alone. It signalled that humanists will hold their ground where they can gather freely. Where the space closes, they move rather than fall silent.

The theme fits a hard moment. Around the world, secular voices face growing pressure. Some governments dress control in the language of tradition and faith.

Resistance, for humanists, is not violence. It is the stubborn defence of conscience. It means protecting the right to doubt, to question and to dissent.

That work is concrete. It includes support for those fleeing blasphemy charges. It includes solidarity with writers, apostates and reformers under threat.

It also means defending the vulnerable at home. Humanist ethics reach into labour, migration and care, themes this outlet has pressed in its writing on migrant worker safety. Compassion without dogma is still compassion.

Critics may call the framing combative. Yet passivity has costs too. Rights left undefended tend to shrink.

The congress offered no easy victory. It offered a stance. In a tense season, humanism claimed the right to push back, and to do so openly.

Fact basis: Humanists International’s World Humanist Congress 2026 (Ottawa, theme “Humanism As Resistance”) and its relocation statement. Outbound source: Humanists International. This column reflects the author’s opinion.